Operation: Jaguar
by issyrocks1383
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple undercover mission, in and out in a matter of minutes. Deals in the black market, however, rarely go as planned. Team case.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Two heavy built bodyguards grunted as they shoved a sturdy leather sofa against the concrete wall on the club basement. Perched on a metal bar stool, their boss watched them, the smoke from his cigar clouding his view.

"If ya quit moaning, you could conserve energy and have finished fifteen minutes ago," He grumbled. "Everything has to be just right for this bidding." The gentleman eased off the stool, continuing to lecture the two oblivious henchmen.

"This intel could get rack some serious profit. After all, who doesn't hate Americans right now?" He played with a solid gold ring on his right middle finger. "We got the best in Western terrorism headed our way in a couple hours and you two buffoons are struggling over furniture." He let out a snort, smoke oozing out of his chapped lips.

"Wait till the bidders get here. Then you'll have a really struggle."

One of the bodyguards gave out a short huff as the pair gave one last shove, pressing the sofa in place. "Boss," his Russian accent was thick with exhaustion, "we need to start setting up an escape plan in case of- "

"What do you take me for, eh?" His superior waggled his smoking cigar in the bodyguard's direction. His voice had gone steely. "Your old boss is an idiot huh? We won't need an escape plan because I made sure that _nobody_, besides who I wanted to know, knew about this exchange. Now finish making this dump presentable and maybe after that you can draft up your stupid 'escape plan'." Without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and started heading up to ground level. Just as he reached the top stair, there was a loud clatter from below. He briefly turned his head to see his workers kneeling over a flipped over table.

"If either of you break my furniture, I'll shoot you in the stomach and let you bleed out, do ya hear?" He slammed down behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Ziva tapped the remote against her bottom lip as she stared at the so called criminal on the plasma. He didn't really look like a criminal, she quietly told herself. In fact, if she had met him in a normal place, the worst thing she could pin on him was the possibility of being a boxer. He was a short stature, for a white mid – aged man. Clean – shaven and dressed in good taste according to this candid. His obviously colored black was tied a low ponytail as he was walking away a limo. The picture was taken mid – stride and gave an entire left side profile of the black market dealer. From his Ray – Bans to his polished leather loafers, he had the look of an average New Yorker on business. Minus the barely visible glimmer of a pocket watch chain. She shrugged. _To each his own._

"I bet he has a yacht." Tony spouted from behind her. "At least one yacht with a personal chef on board and Jacuzzi - girlfriends, lots of girlfriends." He had the look of a five year old in a candy store. Ziva rolled her eyes.

"Yes I suppose he does. Not," her eyes narrowed at him, "That that is at all relevant to the mission."

Tony just grinned. "You never know, he might take us to his yacht with his personal chef and jumbo sized Jacuzzi- "

"This is not one of your movies Tony, where the uncover spy is whisked off on a yacht with half naked women clinging to his arms as he shoots laser beams out of his eyes!"

Tim continued typing at his desk, half listening to the argument. To be honest, he was a bit put out. He had been hoping for a chance to go on a mission and prove that he wasn't just the nerd behind the desk. He had lived with that persona long enough in high school. But he hadn't been assigned. Instead the director had chosen Ziva, Tony, Gibbs and another field agent to go undercover and stop the purchase of the navy intel from falling into the wrong hands. His index finger stabbed the N key on the keyboard in frustration. Once again, he would be the guy on the headset like a backstage hand in a play. He wanted a real role.

"McGee!"

"Yes boss?" He jumped, startled out of his thoughts and looked out to see a very red faced Gibbs glaring at him.

"I said, listen up, Vance is going to brief everyone on the mission," Gibbs' coffee sloshed as he shook the cup at McGee. "That means you too, now pay attention."

The techie nodded firmly behind his monitor, determined not to show fear. "Yes, boss. Sorry boss."

Gibbs walked over to sit at his desk, feeling three sets of eyes on him. He cocked his head toward the screen. "This guy is planning to sell some intel on navy precautions in case of a terrorist attack to the highest bidder in a couple hours. We have to get into that auction, outbid everyone and then get out."

Tim frowned. "A couple hours? How come we didn't know sooner?"

"I asked the same thing. Have no clue. It's Sec Nav's show," Vance stated flatly from his standing position in the bullpen. Tim had been too zoned out to notice his arrival. "Gibbs will be posing as a Russian mob member; Agent Herbert will be his protégée." He waved a hand toward Ziva. "You will be Gibbs' girlfriend – less intimating role." Ziva nodded unphased though she couldn't help noticed a vein in Tony's neck pop. She wondered why. _Probably wants to be the mobster. _She smirked at him to irk him more.

"Tony will be his bodyguard. That way, at least one of you has a firearm." A silly grin flashed on DiNozzo's face. _I got the perfect sunglasses for a bodyguard look…_

"And McGee will be in the control van, keeping eyes on the building and scanning faces for identification. Remember, it's just as important that we find out who are the people we are bidding against and actually winning the auction."

"But we had no way of securing a certain win." Ziva argued. "He probably wants the payment in cash and since we don't know our opponents, there's no real way of guessing how much they intend to put on the table." Tim silently found himself agreeing.

Vance, however, shook his head. "He wants a certain amount of money in cash. That's going to be the password to get in. The amount you bring. The rest is to be wired to him."

"Wired?" McGee looked confused. "That's highly traceable. Why risk a digital connection to his sale?"

"We think there might be another motive behind this sale. He probably plans on exposing however using the intel to the American government in exchange for some lee-way on his crimes – still not sure."

"Surely the other groups auctioning sense this?" Ziva questioned. "They will most likely have a plan to counter whatever he plans to do. If it were me, I would take the intel and kill him."

"We have no doubt they do, Ms. David, which is why your group was assigned to this case. Should things get unpleasant, you will be in charge of arresting all the people in the room with acts of attempted terrorism."

Tony was grinning. "This reminds me of a 1998-"

"Whatever it reminds you of, I'm sure you can tell your team once you board your plane." The director neatly interrupted Tony. Gibbs' lip twitched in amusement.

"Plane?" If it was even possible, the Italian looked even more excited.

Vance gave a small smile. "I guess no one told you that the mission will be taking place in New York."

Tony jumped out of his seat. "The Big Apple? Land of the Rich and Home to Broadway, no, no one mentioned it." He immediately started out toward the elevator.

"Where are you going?" Ziva popped her head over her cubicle wall.

"To pack!' He yelled, already in the elevator. "Gotta look good for New York. Do you know how many-" He was cut off as the door shut, sending him to the first floor.

Alone into the compartment, he couldn't help humming the song running through his head.

_Start__spreading the news__  
I am leaving today__  
I want to be a part of it__  
New York, New York_

**A/N – First official chapter done! Please let me know what you think, this is my first time writing them as a team – particularly Tony (I was biting my nail while writing him seriously). I'm not sure whether or not to make a chapter based on their flight or not. If you review with suggestions, I would be so happy. :) Thanks for reading – don't forget to review!**


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